Humor in Education

Humor helps students learn especially when it comes to teaching adults. I am referring to those students who do not go directly to college from high school. Their value, beliefs and standards about humor and education are intertwined with their varied life experiences. Humor can be used to engage students in experiencing something they don't know in a safe and non-threatening environment. A good percentage of adult students at UCB are preoccupied with the demands of working full time, going to school part time, child care issues, chronic illnesses, and language barriers to name a few. It's based on embarrassment. What's a teacher to do??? Well if you were in the Health & Life Fitness class you would practice your "verbal humor skill" via tongue twisters. Yes, tongue twisters!! By encouraging the students to practice their verbal humor skill using tongue twisters they have learned a very valuable lesson. You have gotten their attention. They are able to understand and articulate certain words better. Additionally, they have gained an enormous amount of confidence. At the end of the activity it is no longer a language barrier but a wonderful humorous experience. When you put together the letters that are in bold they spell "LAUGH." If you say the following tongue twisters you too can laugh at yourself. Come on, give it a try. Practice makes perfect!!

I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop.
Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits.

Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

I was born on a pirate ship

Say it while holding your tongue!!